Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, placed a white wreath on the flower-bedecked body of the Communist stalwart, stood for a while and then left. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Bharatiya Janata Party  leader L K Advani were also present.

Meanwhile, a huge concourse of mourners on Tuesday filled the streets of Kolkata as the body of  Basu was taken out of a funeral parlour for the last journey in a hearse bedecked with white flowers and red party flags.

Led by a pilot car of the Kolkata Police, the hearse slowly made its way around 8 am to the CPM party headquarters at Alimuddin Street where the party flags flew half mast.
Touching scenes were witnessed as the hearse carrying Basu’s body, draped in the party’s red flag, reached the party headquarters.